Farewell to Google Business Profile’s discovery searches
Starting February 20, Google will update its APIs, and this will bring a significant change to the Google Business Profile insights section.
This section of the profile currently allows businesses to understand how users get in touch with and interact with their Google listings, and it also shows the types of searches that led to the listing being viewed, breaking them down into:
· direct searches, which include the address or the business name
· discovery searches, which relate to a category, product, or service
· branded searches, which include the brand name.
Understanding whether the listing was viewed as a result of discovery searches (that is, searches related to a product or service sold by the store) is extremely useful for understanding the level of Local SEO: an up-to-date, complete Google listing will in fact also rank for generic local searches.
It’s precisely this distinction that will disappear with the new update, but there’s no need to worry, because there will be improvements.
What will change in detail?
First of all, the breakdown by search type will no longer be visible. Google will instead split listing views by:
· per touchpoint (Search or Maps)
· device (desktop or mobile)
On top of this, a new feature is being added: the list of search keywords used by users that surfaced the brand’s listings among the results. This data is important for better understanding customers and their interests, such as the most searched-for product types.
The section on actions taken by users on the listings is also being enriched with further KPIs, in particular for the food service industry; alongside calls, requests for directions, website visits, and messages, there are now clicks on the Book, Menu, and Order Online CTAs (these last ones depend on the category the Google Business Profile listing belongs to).
To have maximum visibility and be found more easily by anyone interested in a given brand, product, or service, taking care of your business profile on Google is essential. This means keeping address, opening hours, and contact details up to date, managing reviews and Q&As, and adding details about your business such as photos, local campaigns, and a list of products available in store.
Along with Google Business Profile, the RetailTune platform will also embrace these changes, with an analytics dashboard dedicated to listing insights.